Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to storage systems and, more specifically, but not by way of limitation, to rule-based Write Once Read Many (WORM) enforcement in data storage systems.
In certain industries, such as healthcare and financial services, government regulations impose requirements on the storage and management of important records. One common requirement is that data storage systems that store certain important records must enforce immutability. That is, they must guarantee that stored records cannot be overwritten. Enforcement of this guarantee is often called Write Once Read Many, or WORM.
Within such regulated industries, not all records require WORM data storage. For example, a records management application may utilize a database to store information about important records. However, this information may contain a mix of changeable data and immutable data, i.e., information subject to rule(s) related to immutability. Additionally, this database changes as the application adds new and/or edits records. Because the database contains changeable data, it cannot be stored on a WORM data storage system.
Businesses that require both WORM and non-WORM data storage for different types of data are typically forced to separate immutable data from changeable data. As a result, immutable data and changeable data often reside on different storage devices. Additionally, many of these same businesses desire to store their important records on removable media. There are several options for WORM storage to removable media, including DVD, BluRay, UDO, LTO tape, and others. However, none of these options allow the combination of immutable data and changeable data on the same removable element. All data is immutable, regardless of the type. As a result, businesses cannot use removable WORM media to store changeable data, such as database files. Hence, there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems for enforcing WORM data storage.